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How Social Media Can Improve Your Small Business Marketing (In 140 Characters or Less)

October 22, 2018

Successful small business marketing is a multi-faceted, ongoing project that often relies heavily on social media sharing. Once upon a time, it seemed that social media might prove to be nothing more than a passing fad. With half a billion people using Facebook, plus the growing popularity of other platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn, it’s clear that social media is here to stay.

Thousands of companies are working to leverage social media platforms for their small business marketing plans. This is highly recommended. Here are a few ways that the use of social media can improve your small business marketing results.

Speak Directly to Your Audience on a Human Level

Social media allows you to connect with your prospective clients on an intimate, human level. But doing so effectively requires you to do some homework. Start by defining your ideal prospective clients: age, gender, financial status, and the problem that your product or service solves for them.

Find out what social media platforms your ideal prospects prefer to use; those are the platforms your business must also use. Then, define your key message(s) that will allow you to speak directly to those prospects and solve their problems via social media messages.

Drive Traffic to Your Website

Each social media platform you select must encourage visitors to click through to your website. Calls to action or sharing buttons are two ways to accomplish this. Your website is the platform available for you to demonstrate how your product or service will solve their problems.

Once prospects arrive at your website, they should easily understand the action they must take in order to solve their problem. Whether it’s downloading your e-book, subscribing to your blog, or purchasing a tangible product, this is where your small business marketing magic must happen. The sales message on your website should be crystal clear.

Keep It Real

When it comes to sharing on social media, it’s best to avoid posting only about yourself, your company, or your products. Talk about the issues your prospects are interested in or concerned about. Throw in a little news or popular culture now and then. Speaking to your prospects on a professional but human level will prevent your social media accounts from looking like nothing but a series of hard sells.

Learn Even More About Your Audience

You have already done audience research – what’s left to know? You won’t know unless you ask! The best way to find out what information you’re missing is to ask your audience. In addition to posing specific questions, many social media platforms allow you to set up polls or questionnaires. This can be an easy, yet incredibly effective way to learn more about your prospective clients and their preferences. You might be surprised by what you learn.

Paid Advertising Can Quickly Increase Traffic

Most social media platforms now offer paid advertising opportunities. This action can be a quick and fairly affordable way to boost your traffic in a short amount of time. Even if you can only spare a few dollars of your marketing budget for paid social media advertising, it’s worth a shot.

PersistSEO can help you create a marketing plan that will help you to make the most of your social media marketing dollars and efforts. Request a complimentary SEO analysis to maximize your social media marketing efforts and drive new business.